Schaub driven to succeed after 2011 injury

On a number of summer mornings, bright and early with the humidity rising and heat in full force, Matt Schaub and Andre Johnson met at Reliant Stadium to carpool to the University of Houston for offseason workouts.

That is where the 2012 Texans’ season began. And those short trips east could have a lot to do with where it ends.

So far it has been nearly perfect, as the Texans are 8-1, tied with Atlanta for the NFL’s best record, with woeful Jacksonville on tap for Sunday at Reliant.

“The more we climb this mountain and get closer towards the end, the more excited you get,” Schaub said.

Every football season is a journey, with most teams falling well short and only one making it to the top. But others that didn’t win the Super Bowl, like the 2011 Texans, can have nice trips, too.

For Schaub, the team’s historic ride a year ago wasn’t satisfying. As the city celebrated the franchise’s first playoff appearance and its first playoff victory, Schaub rolled around on a scooter, recovering from foot surgery.

Johnson said on those summer morns Schaub often talked about how much missing that time hurt, about the opportunity the team had to do something special and how he was intent on being there when it did.

Already an accomplished quarterback, a focused leader and a hard worker, Schaub found something else to push him just a little more. At this level, a little can make a lot of difference.

“It’s been something. All offseason, it’s been what’s motivated me, what’s driven me to get back to 100 percent as soon as I could so I could be out there with my guys,” Schaub said.

Inspired leader

His teammates and the Texans coaches have noticed.

“I think that kind of started in OTAs for him,” tailback Arian Foster said. “As soon as he got cleared and he was able to participate with us, even limited, the focus was there.

“He’s our leader on this team, and we look to him for that leadership. He’s the first one in here, the last one to leave. It’s inspiring to meet a player like that. It inspires you to be a better player for him and for everybody else.”

Coach Gary Kubiak remembers the pained look on Schaub’s face after the Texans lost at Baltimore in the divisional round of the playoffs, with rookie quarterback T.J. Yates having thrown three interceptions.

Schaub helped the team get into position for the special run, but he went down with Lisfranc injury in the 10th game of the season. In his first two years with the Texans (2007-08), Schaub played in only 11 of 16 games. In the next two, he didn’t miss a start.

Kubiak said it falls on the offensive line to protect Schaub, and it has done a splendid job of that, as the Texans have allowed only 11 sacks. No team has allowed fewer. (Jacksonville has gotten a league-low 10 sacks.)

Schaub’s smart play and the Texans’ game plans have factored into that as well. With one of the league’s best defenses, there has been little need to force the action.

“Third-and-8 or third-and-9, you don’t have to try to make a play down the field and force something to where something really negative could happen for your team,” Schaub said. “You could just check it down, add to the punt and let your defense go out and stop them again. To have that and know that that’s what you got on your side is great.”

On top of the offense

Just because the Texans are 22nd in passing yards, don’t think Schaub can’t wing it if needed. The Texans’ dominant play this season has limited his opportunities to open it up, but he threw for a total of 9,000 yards in 2009 and ’10, with a league-leading 4,770 in ’09.

“He’s very advanced in his decision-making,” Kubiak said. “He knows what type of team he’s on. He knows situations that ‘Hey, I can’t hurt the team’ and he’s done a very good job of that.”

Schaub is doing more than managing the offense, he is driving it. Just as he drove Johnson to those summer workouts.